Audio By Carbonatix
YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5m (£18.6m) to settle a lawsuit brought by Donald Trump, filed after the video platform suspended his account in the wake of the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.
The settlement from the video streaming giant's parent company Alphabet - which also owns Google, comes after social media sites X/Twitter and Facebook also agreed to pay Trump for suspending his accounts.
Trump had accused YouTube and other tech companies of political bias, claiming they had unfairly censored conservative voices after the Capitol riot in 2021.
At the time of his suspension, social media companies said that Trump risked inciting further violence in Washington DC.
As part of Monday's settlement, YouTube will pay $22m to the Trust for the National Mall, a non-profit group that is aiming to raise $200m to build a new ballroom at the White House.
Another $2.5m will be paid to other organisations and individuals who joined Trump's lawsuit, including the American Conservative Union.
YouTube is the latest major platform to settle with the president.
In January, Facebook's parent company Meta agreed to a $25m settlement, with $22m earmarked for Trump's presidential library.
A month later, social media platform X - a company that was purchased by Trump ally Elon Musk in 2022 - settled for a reported $10m.
All of Mr Trump's social media accounts have since been reinstated.
The settlements come as Silicon Valley has generally taken a more conciliatory tone towards the president. The CEOs of Alphabet, Meta and X all sat in the front row for his inauguration, signalling a shift in relations between the Republican Party and the tech sector.
The social media giants have also taken measures to loosen content moderation on their platforms, which Republicans had claimed amounted to a violation of free speech.
Last week, YouTube said it planned to restore several accounts that had been banned for repeatedly making false claims about Covid and the 2020 presidential election.
"YouTube values conservative voices on its platform and recognises that these creators have extensive reach and play an important role in civic discourse," the company wrote to a Republican-controlled congressional committee, explaining the decision.
Latest Stories
-
We trust government to meet September deadline on teachers’ promotions – NAGRAT
5 minutes -
“We dare not fail” – Gov’t promises to honour teachers’ promotion pay deal
11 minutes -
The GH¢19.8 billion mirage: Inside Ghana’s state enterprise turnaround
19 minutes -
Luv FM High School Debate: KNUST SHS and Osei Adutwum SHS set up thrilling final after dramatic semi-finals
26 minutes -
KNUST AI Coordinator urges structured adoption of AI in teacher education
40 minutes -
Nepal rescuers blast hillside in search of hydropower workers as families wait anxiously
57 minutes -
Teachers who pass promotional exam to get January 2026 start date after gov’t resolves promotion dispute – Dr Apaak assures
60 minutes -
NSMQ 2026: St. John’s School rally from slow start to book semi-final spot
60 minutes -
Promotion pay row: Gov’t gives teachers September to complete salary adjustments
1 hour -
Financial irregularities plummet by 62.9% as state tightens fiscal controls
1 hour -
DVLA to expand mobile services to underserved communities in Ghana’s Eastern Corridor of the Northern Region
1 hour -
GUTA urges GPHA to act swiftly to end Tema Port congestion to avert rising business costs
1 hour -
Port congestion could undermine 24-hour economy policy – GUTA
1 hour -
NSA opens three-day window to resolve national service biodata mismatches
2 hours -
Abu Jinapor highlights increased gold exports after Domestic Gold Purchase Programme
2 hours